transfers! - Papeete

Transfers this week! I said goodbye to Elder Coxhead my new zealand son, and I am now with Elder Opuu from Tahiti! And now I only live with 1 other american so hopefully we'll be speaking a lot more French!

The Gospel makes us happier than anything else in life and that is a fact.  And the gospel revolves around Christ.  And Christ's character is one that is never selfish.  I invite you all to think only of others this week.  Pray for them, do nice things for them.  And you will see great changes in your life.

ATL

Elder Jenkins

:)

YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES YOU!

 I've been spending a lot of time doing language study with Elder Coxhead because since he went to the New Zealand MTC, he never really learned French grammar. Cause everyone there normally already speaks french. So I'm taking on the role of French teacher which is really fun haha.  I can teach French much better than I can teach English.  Cause who actually knows English grammar rules???

We're finding so many new people!  There's this one lady that we've seen walk around our sector and every time we think, "we have GOT to talk to her!"  It was an obvious prompting from the spirit.  But every time we would see her we were on our way to a lesson and didn't have time.  But yesterday we saw her at the bus stop and sat down next to her and she told us about how she had recently been excommunicated from the Temoin de Jehovah church and ever since her life has taken a down spiral.  She is always surrounded by drugs and alcohol not the best people and she wants out.  And we had an awesome conversation about the Savior and how through the Atonement EVERYTHING that we've done can be forgiven and forgotten.  We have a lesson fixed Tuesday morning.  I LOVE THE ATONEMENT!!!! I LOVE THIS MISSION!!!!

Pray for others and you'll see miracles

ATL!

Elder Jenkins

please pray! - Papeete

So not a whole lot has happened in this past week! But things are good!

We fixed the marriage/ baptism of a great couple. Pray that they make it!!!

Also pray for a girl who is 15 and is so so ready to be baptized but has lots of bad influences and she just needs a little push to find the right path!

And for a guy who wants to be baptized but he can't ever make it to church cause he works on a little island hotel and only comes back to Tahiti for a week every 3 weeks!

And for a lady who is ready to be baptized but still isn't 100% sure about Joseph Smith being a prophet. 

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE AND ALL OF YOU!!!!!

Faaitoito,

atl

Elder Jenkins

follow the prophet - Papeete

This week was jolly good!

A seventy Elder Ardern gave us a great formation this past Monday! Which is why I didn't write monday cause p day is today. 

God loves us.  He really is our Father and all He wants is for us to keep the commandments so we can become great and go back home to Him.  Don't look past the mark.  Just follow the scriptures and the prophets.  

Speaking of, President Monson and Nelson's most recent talks have been about the Book of Mormon. READ IT EVERY DAY I BEG YOU!!!!! It is the key to happiness I swear.  It's a rule of life that if we read the BoM everyday we are happy and everything goes smoothly.  I know this is true because I have seen it in my life a hundred times. Just do it.  

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!

Elder Jenkins

Sorry no time - papeete

Humilité est important

ATL elder Jenkins

GC

The best and only important thing that happened this week was General Conference.

LITERALLY it's like you can have a one on one conversation with Jesus Christ. You pray to ask questions, and then He talks back through the prophets.  So great. 

I loved Nelson, both of Uchtdorfs, and one of Elder Hales last lines hit me so hard.

"when we choose faith, we are preparing ourselves to return to the Savior"

So many plan of salvation themes this conference.  God is our Father and He loves us.  He is perfect and wants us to have perfect joy like him.  The ONLY WAY to achieve this is through His Son Jesus Christ.  

I love you all

Elder Jenkins

from Elder Jenkins - Papeete

Earlier this morning we made ourselves a french brunch.  French bread. French cheese.  French grapejuice and steak. Twas neat.

So this week was transfers and so many missionaries are goin home! Ahhh! It's crazy to think how this whole mission thing can end.  I just wanna stay forever. 

God gives us so many blessings everyday I feel like we don't even notice half of them.  Make a list of 50 things you're grateful for and you'll realize that your problems aren't too bad.  God loves you. We can overcome pain and unhappiness through obedience and humility.  

Learn how to communicate to show your love.

ATL

Elder Jenkins

20ieme anniversaire du Pieu de Faa'a! - Papeete

Cette semaine a été remplie de fun! Parlons-en! @elderkerr

We painted the sister missionaries' house this week!  We chipped off all of the less white paint and it looked like snow and I miss christmas.  Then we painted and it was great.  I could paint after the mish.  THe only problem was that we didn't really cover the ground that well and we used the furniture as a way to reach up high so now the sisters' house has a fantastic paintjob but the rest of it is trashed with white speckles.  Oh well.  

It was the 20th b day of the stake of FAAA where I am rn.  This whole week had tons of activites.  

But the coolest was friday and saturday.  Friday was the Heiva.  Which is the Tahitian cultural dance festival.  So cool haha.  I think the best part are the drums.  They have so many little creative drums and it sounds so intense.

Saturday we had the Tuaro Maohi which is the tahitian games competition.  The games included getting coconut milk out of cocos, running with heavy bannana/ uru sticks, picking up extremely heavy rocks, and pyrog racing.  Then we had Ma'a Tahiti ( tahitian food) and it was a good day.  

Also I send my deepest consolences for all you in Utah who are now suffering cold weather.  And no the seasons don't really change here.  But soon it'll get a little hotter and rain some more. 

Also sorry I had no time to email anyone, today is busy but I love you.

Spiritual thought!

I had a little revelation this week.  Sometimes when I'm working/praying my hardest, we have no success in our sector.  ANd sometimes when I'm not working/praying my hardest, I have lots of success for a week or two.  ANd I was like why tho???  And I realized that it's true, today's work brings tomorrow's blessings.  And we can't ever get casual or take our blessings for granted.  If God decides to reward us for our efforts, we should thank Him by continuing to work hard.  If we stop pushing ourselves to be better God will have to remind us just how much we rely on Him.  And we will be humbled by force haha.  So it's better to just always remember our merciful Father in Heaven who loves us so much and things will go much smoother. 

ATL

Elder Jenkins

Week #=== - Papeete

This week was wonderful! We've had so much fun and success this week.

I don't have a lot of time, and I'm actually gonna try to limit myself on email time, just so I don't think too much about home and whatnot.  So if I'm a little slow to respond I apologize!

Anyways, spiritual thought this week is about repentance.  And how great it is.  It is the best and only way to feel better and clean and light and happy.  Repentance is change.  It's amazing how crazy we are as missionaries sometimes because of how blunt we are haha.  We had a first lesson with a family the other day and we focused the discussion on The Family and committed them to get married straight away.  Which seems nuts for them, and obviously they need to talk between themselves, but I have no problem telling someone straight up what they're doing wrong and how to fix it.  (As a missionary of course)

BECAUSE I know that we follow the teachings of Christ we'll be the happiest we've ever been.  I know I am the happiest I've ever been right now and I know it'll only get better.  

If there is something you need to fix in your life I invite you to do it.  Be the master of yourself and do what you're supposed to to become your best you.  

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!

atl Elder Jenkins

HAPPY - Papeete

Quelle semaine!

This week we did so much planning and I feel like I've remotivated myself.  Not that I was unmoviated before, but I really wanna make the rest of my mission the most positive experience of ever.  

This week up until sunday

We moved again!! Haha so that's how we're spending this p day... But it's okay!  cause our new house is SHWEET!  I love life I'll try to send pics next week I'm sorry I always forget my camera.  We have a view of Moorea and the ocean and you can bet your left foot that I'm excited for those sunsets. 

I had a revelation yesterday.  I was thinking about life after the mission, and who I want to be and do etc. and I want to be happy all the time and be able to make other people happy because of it.  I wanna be happy cause I should be cause I know about the gospel and because of that life is good always.  That's what we preach!  But I realized I wasn't actually that happy.  Cause this past week was pretty difficult and we had like 0 success and I am still sick (We think it's bronchitis (AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT)) and I was just not feeling good.  But then I realized, I SHOULD BE HAPPY! Good-ness, if I'm not happy all the time I feel like I'd be a hypocrite and spoiled cause I have too many blessings.  Count your blessings folks.  Remember God.  Be happy.  We have no reason not to be.  

So I decided to be happy and work super hard and now everything is at least 8 and a half times better. 

I love you guys.  

ALL THE LOVES

Elder Jenkins

Apostle>Sick - Papeete

This week was so great!  Haha unfortunately, my sickness of the past 3 weeks got worse and i had to stay home a few days and go to the doctor cause I was coughing up my lungs.  I don't think it's anything serious, and it's going away, but I've lost like 10 pounds lol.

My companion is a studly muffin and made me breakfast when I was sick.  Shoutout to Elder Coxhead

On the bright side, while I had nothing to do at home, I deep cleaned our house, and it now resembles the temple.  Mom, I've finally learned appreciation for cleaning. :)

We passed the football around last p day and it was fun to have that again.  I taught a few of the Frenchies how to toss the pigskin, since they've never played in their lives!

I absolutely love the people we teach and I love the Gospel.  I seriously don't know what my life would be like without this church and my faith in Christ.  I often try to think about the blessings I have in my life thanks to the gospel to share with our amis.  But sometimes it's hard to think of specifics cause it's just so general!  Like it changes everything.  How you look, talk, dress, eat, what you do etc.  It literally just improves every aspect of life.  It is such a blessing to be able to teach others about repentance.  How it is possible through Christ, and how it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. 

We heard from an apostle this week!! WHAT.  That was super awesome.  Elder Stevenson talked to us about commitments and their relation to repentance, and how obedience=joy.  Which is so true.  Cause if we're obedient, God gives us a blessing!  And where does happiness come from? Blessings!  Oh how the gospel makes sense.   I hope I can keep my head focused on the right path for the rest of my life cause I know God knows best.  

I love you all, keep focused on the eternal perspective when faced with trials and temptations, above all.  

ATL

Elder Jenkins

Mission - Papeete

I love missionary work.  Sometimes it's really hard and you get humbled right down to the dust of the earth.  But I am so grateful for it.  I don't know where or what I'd be without this year as a missionary, and I hope to continue to change.  My companion is a stud muffin, haha he just gives random comments out of nowhere like "man I'm so grateful to have English as my native language".  Cause it's a hard one to learn and very useful haha!

I keep forgetting things that happen, so I'm sorry if my letters aren't that exciting haha.  (but yes don't worry mom I write them down in my journal)

I had a brand new missionary with me for his first 2 days of birth, while he waited for his flight to the Marquisian islands.  It was pretty fun.  Haha it was fun to have 2 sons for a while. So much missionary spirit/awkwardness lol.  He broke his no soda streak 3 days short of a year, cause a member offered us some, and he couldn't bear the thought of refusing food on his mission! Hahaha that's what I'm talking about!

I love the gospel.  I love learning/ living faith and repentance everyday.  It's sometimes super hard, but so insanely worth it.  I know that Christ lives, and that He is the way.  I'm grateful for what I've learned in this overly humid country.  Que Dieu vous bénisse. Je vous aime. 

Elder Jenkins

Crazy! - Papeete

This week was nuts.  

Well, we had an awesome p day last week, we drove to the other side of the island and got to see a ton of missionaries who are leaving!  Some really great friends that I'll miss for sure. We also played some football and it was slightly chilly (if that's even possible here) and there were leaves on the ground and oh boy I sure do miss autumn.  

I got sick again this week, which was a bummer, but I think I'm getting better!

So today is transfer day!  A HUGE ONE!  30 missionaries are leaving and 30 are arriving.  So pretty much everyone is changing.  Elder Hobbs is headed to a lil island, and I'm staying here in Tahiti to finish the training of Elder Coxhead!  \i'm also District leader again haha! Just a lil 9 week hiatus.  Elder Coxhead is actually the one who replaced me on Tahaa when I left!  So Elder Murdock and I are officially his step fathers.  I'm excited to work with him! He's already very humble and charitable, so I think we'll learn and have some success together.  

I am almost 1 year out!  Like this thursday the 17th.  Halfway done with my mission.  That's the biggest mixing bowl of emotions since Taylor Swift went pop. 

We've had some elders who are finishing today stay with us cause they had nowhere to lodge after they came back from the islands. It's always fun to have a big group at the house.  

I feel like I'm doin pretty well, although I still have many many faults. I know the Lord can do anything and I'm so excited to see what he has in store for me this next year.  I love you all!! The Gospel is true!

atl

Elder Jenkins

Photo sent by a nice stranger who was visiting Tahiti